1. Field of the Inventor
The present invention relates in general to connectors for tubing sections and more specifically relates to such connectors that can be varied in diameter to accommodate tubing of varying diameters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of connectors is known in the art for serving as a connecting joint between the ends of two pieces of tubing. One such connector is disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,998 to Pennington and includes two semi-circular segments that can be joined to one another to form a circular configuration. The connector segments have overlapping ends with interengaging teeth. A pair of fork prongs extend from each segment to engage the prongs of the other segment, thereby exerting a compressive force on the two segments to maintain the segment teeth in engagement.
Although the Pennington connector may well have satisfied the particular need Pennington was faced with, such connector appears to have several drawbacks for general use. Firstly, the two segment Pennington configuration is undesirable for connecting the adjacent ends of two sections of tubing because it is difficult to hold both tubing ends in proper position while at the same time attempting to fasten a pair of connector segments together. Secondly, the fork prongs of the connector segments are offset outwardly from the body of the connector, and are, thus, in a condition of high exposure for possible damage or disengagement. Thirdly, the Pennington connector is not adapted to be used with various diameters of tubing and instead must be specially sized for each section of tubing with which it is to be used. Additionally, the connector of Pennington does not readily lend itself for shipping and storage purposes.